Tuesday, December 05, 2006

old forests do it better

Old forest sucks up greenhouse gas, study saysResearchers havefound soils in an old-growth forest in southern China are storing carbon at a rapid rate. If common to the soils of other old-growth forests, the finding could add combating global warming to the reasons for preserving them from logging, some scientists say.The finding from soils in southern China goes against the generally accepted idea that old-growth forests are in balance, giving up as much carbon through decomposition as they take in from falling leaves and dying roots.

It may not be wise for anyone to follow up on this study. After all, the oldest wood makes for the best furniture. Nothing is more poignant than a monkey sitting on a chair hewn from an eight hundred year old tree.

And it is safe to say everyone enjoys the rich smell of roasting timber, as interred carbon is freed from captivity.

Technology lurks helpfully in the background. There is no reason to avoid commoditizing all the old growth forest into bite sized chunks. Quick as a flash, the forests may be replaced with endless regimented columns of nanotechology based carbon interral units. They'll be about the size of trees.

Or the huge mirror in space, everybody's favorite - - excepting a few politically correct ninnies. Humanity shouldn't just bet on her continued ingenuity in the face of failure - humanity should double down and enjoy the ride!